Marsh backs Australia to beat '92 hoodoo

Former Australia opener Geoff Marsh says Australia’s thorough preparation ahead of the World Cup will help avoid a repeat of the shock exit his side suffered in 1992.

Australia failed to progress past the group stage the last time the World Cup was held in Australia and New Zealand 23 years ago, missing out on a semi-final spot by just one point.

But Marsh, who has been embedded with the squad since Friday, says the outfit under Bupa Support Team head coach Darren Lehmann won’t suffer the same problems that hampered the ’92 team, despite the growing pressures of favouritism and home-field advantage.

“If you put yourself in that position where there is pressure, yes,” said Marsh on if Australia will feel outside pressure during the six-week long campaign.

“If you don’t put yourself in those positions where there’s pressure around and you’re playing well, when you look at what this team’s done, there’s planning been in place for a long, long time.

“They’ve done a lot of homework and when you know that, you head into a tournament feeling very good about yourself and I think this team is.

“Everyone loves playing at home and it’s a great place to play a World Cup at home.

“The expectations are really high. But the planning has started a long time ago and they’ve talked about it.”Image Id: ~/media/E541E03922B44C81AA3067815052E0E6

Geoff Marsh speaks to current Chairman of Selectors Rod Marsh at training // Getty Images

Father of Test batsman Shaun and World Cup squad member Mitchell, Marsh says a fast start to the tournament is vital for progression.

Australia lost to co-hosts New Zealand and South Africa in their first two matches in 1992 and never recovered.

But Marsh is confident the 15-man squad assembled by Lehmann and the National Selection Panel has the skill and knowledge to make it deep into the competition.

“Let’s face it, they’re a very good side, a very talented side,” Marsh said in Perth.

“It’s like every team – you’ve got to put it together when it really counts.

“When you get to that first game you’ve got to be ready and you’ve got to play well in the tournament and get that momentum going for you.

“It’s a very talented side and if they all play to their best they’ll be very hard to beat.

“We were probably just caught out a bit in ’92.

“We went to New Zealand and they did very well in their planning against us and won that game.

“Then we played South Africa in the second game and they’d just come back in to world cricket and they were hungry.

“They really put the pressure on and we felt that. We just couldn’t get back into the tournament after that.”

Marsh did taste World Cup glory seven years later, though as a coach not a player.

In 1999, under the leadership of Steve Waugh, Australia went undefeated in their last seven games to hoist the trophy at Lord’s.Image Id: ~/media/2EF3E981F0AF40D8BD8DF990E49323C6

Marsh (second from the right) celebrates after Australia sealed the 1999 ICC World Cup trophy // Getty Images

Australia one-day captain George Bailey said before the Hobart Carlton Mid ODI Tri-Series match against England, that the squad spoke about winning 13 straight games, but Marsh advises against needing a  run of consecutive victories to advance, for the Lehmann’s sake at the very least.

“We don’t want to get in to that situation we were there,” Marsh said.

“We went to the Commonwealth Games in August then we went to a full tour in Pakistan, and we came back, full tour of Australia, full of the West Indies then we went straight to England for the World Cup.

“We were just a little bit off the mark to start with, but that was a great side, great players in that side, and they picked themselves up.

“They had to win seven and they were tough games to win.

“It can be done, but you don’t sleep that well when you’re coach.”

Image Id: ~/media/A4D13A5708E54D78B92A98E914BEBAAF

Geoff Marsh confers with current coach Darren Lehmann // Getty Images